2,123 Kingston households were in mortgage stress in Q2, up from 525 three months earlier, marking the largest quarterly jump of any Australian postcode in Digital Finance Analytics' latest report.
304% growth in stressed households reflected higher mortgage repayments, rising living costs and larger home loans, with many borrowers also rolling off cheap fixed-rate loans onto higher variable rates.
3,431 households were added across Tasmania's 10 hardest-hit postcodes during the quarter, lifting the total to 18,870; nine of the 10 areas worsened.
105% was the rise in Canning Vale, Perth—the next fastest-growing postcode nationally—while New Norfolk rose 33% and Newnham 18%, showing the pressure extends beyond greater Hobart.
Kingston's surge adds to broader affordability strains in Tasmania, where house prices, rents and living costs have climbed sharply; PropTrack puts Kingston's median house price at about A$775,500.